Cardinal DiNardo blogs as conclave for new pope begins

Updated 6:44 pm, Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff

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Cardinal Daniel DiNardo heads for Rome on Tuesday for the upcoming papal election. He suggested during an interview at the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston Chancery in Houston that the next pope should be gifted linguistically.

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo heads for Rome on Tuesday for the upcoming papal election. He suggested during an interview at the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston Chancery in Houston that the next pope should be

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo (center) places oil on the head of Houston native George Arthur Sheltz during the Anointing of the Bishop's Head at the ordination ceremony making Sheltz a Catholic bishop at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Wednesday, May 2, 2012, in Houston.

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo (center) places oil on the head of Houston native George Arthur Sheltz during the Anointing of the Bishop's Head at the ordination ceremony making Sheltz a Catholic bishop at the

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo might be in Rome preparing to elect the new Pope, but he will be keeping in touch with local Catholics on the archdiocese's website.

A new page, archgh.org/conclave, launched this week with background information on the secret election process for a new pope, live updates from the Vatican's news office and a new blog about DiNardo's trip titled, "When in Rome."

"That will be updated as frequently as we get a post from the cardinal, whenever he has time available," said Jonah Dycus of the archdiocese's communications office. "Obviously, when the conclave starts there will be no transmissions."

On Monday, DiNardo reflected on the theological contributions of Pope Benedict XVI and the challenges he faced as pontiff in a post to his usual blog, Cardinal's Corner, which can be found atarchgh.org/blog.

"The evaluation of his Papacy, like the evaluations of the Cardinals who will enter the Conclave in March, are marked frequently in the secular media, and even in some Catholic media, by an almost purely political and reductionist form of thinking," he wrote. "In some ways this is to be expected, but such analyses dilute more important spiritual and theological considerations that must be kept in mind as well."

Since the Pope announced his resignation Feb. 11, DiNardo often has described Benedict as one of the church's greatest thinkers and writers.

"If there were two concepts and realities that have been the focus of his teaching as Pope they would be: "Caritas" (Love) and "Logos" (Word)," he wrote.

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DiNardo said the pope faced the continuing sex abuse scandal, problems within the Roman Curia and global issues such as war and religious freedom with as a humble worker.

"He carried out that Office in difficult times where he had to govern the flock of Christ facing controversy both outside and inside the Church," he wrote.